Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)

Oh, This Is Good. Like, slurp that savory broth and go back for a third bowl kind of good. My daughter got sick last week, which means that our whole family got sick last week. And when I get sick, I lose two things: 1) my appetite, and 2) my interest in cooking. This pastina soup truly SAVED us last week. It is: Incredibly easy to make. So, so savory and flavorful. Light (like, practically drinkable) but nutrient-rich. Warm, cozy, and healing. Generous – like, every time I make it, I end up freezing half of the broth for our next sick day, or to share with someone when they might need it. I can’t say enough about how much I loved this last week. I sat down at the table with a steamy bowl with extra parm on top, and found myself repeatedly going back for “just one more scoop” of the broth over those tiny stars, even though I swore I hadn’t been feeling hungry just a moment earlier. My girls were pretty excited about eating tiny star pasta with olive oil + Parmesan, while Bjork and I ladled the luscious broth over our bowls and finally tucked into some nurturing food for the first time in several days. Pastina refers to the tiny star shaped pasta, which I found at Target, and the ni...